Henry Clay Thruston

Thruston's war began in the Missouri State Guard. He fought at Pea Ridge in March 1862, later served in the Missouri Fourth Cavalry under John S. Marmaduke, and was wounded in the side at Poison Spring on April 18, 1864. Two of his brothers died in Confederate service, at Pea Ridge and Wilson's Creek. After his parole at Shreveport in June 1865 he walked home to Missouri. His height is given variously, from over seven and a half feet to seven feet eleven. He died on July 2, 1909, and is buried in Mount Pleasant.

What the plaque says

Henry Clay Thruston Estimated to be between seven feet one inch and eight feet tall, Henry Clay Thruston became known nationally and internationally for his height. Born in South Carolina (Greenville Co.), Thruston wed Mary B. Thruston, a cousin, in 1833; they had two children. In 1861, Thruston joined the Confederate effort for the Civil War, and despite his conspicious height, was only wounded twice. By 1874, the Thrustons had moved to Titus County, purchasing land near the Daphne Community. Thruston also toured with P.T. Barnum's Circus as "The Tallest Man in the World." Seen by large crowds throughout America and in Europe, Thruston became a part of late 19th century popular culture. (2009)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Lake Bob Sandlin State Park — 10 mi
  A 1987 state park on a 9,000-acre reservoir, where a Republic of Texas stockade called Fort Sherman stood in 1838 and the Caddo lived from A.D. 800 to 1860, now with fishing piers, trails and cabins.
• Daingerfield State Park — 19 mi
  A pine-and-hardwood park built in 1935-39 by a white and a Black Civilian Conservation Corps company, with a dammed lake, Bass Lodge and a 2.4-mile loop trail around the water.

More markers nearby

• Titus County C. S. A. — 0.3 mi
• The Rev. Edward Hollister Green — 6.5 mi
• Caddo Indian Communities in the Cypress Creek Drainage — 7.3 mi
• Camp County — 8.1 mi